Caird was invited to the Fidentia Top Empowerment Awards at the Xtreme Lifestyle Centre in Fourways (JHB). It was a lavish affair - big sponsors, no expense spared. There is a deep cynic in me when it comes to these events - my natural instinct is to ask what the level of empowerment in fact is. But I was pleasantly surprised - there were a lot of winners that I had never heard of.
The MCs were Laurence Dube and Bronwyn Nielsen (her hair did her no favours) - both entertaining. I sat a table with Kunyalala Maphisa. Kunya is a known BEE expert and I included a quote from her in my book - she speculated that directors who don't implement BEE may be liable for a breach of their fiduciary duties.
Here is the list of winners (you heard it first here):
- CSI Company of the year - First Rand Foundation. The presentation speech (didn't catch his name) mentioned that each company donates 1% of after tax profits, totalling R65million. This percentage is an internationally accepted average - the generic scorecard requires 3%.
- Emerging gender empowered company - SRS Aviation
- Emerging empowered company - iBurst (worst internet service in the country - they couldn't have considered this when they judged the award?)
- Resources - African Rainbow Minerals
- Manufacturing - ATC
- Food processors and producers - Premier Foods
- Health Care - Life Health Care Group
- Construction - Columbia DBL
- Investment Companies - Community Investment Holdings (why weren't our friends from Nations Capital nominated?)
- Pharmaceuticals - Enaleni Cipla Pharmaceuticals
- Retail - LA Group Ltd (I was not aware that they fulfilled the requisite empowerment credentials)
- Leisure, entertainment and hotels - Tsogo Sun Holdings
- Media and photography - Kagiso Media
- Business support services - Direct Channel Holdings
- Financials - Oasis Group Holdings
- Telecommunications - MTN (usual suspects here - not much to choose from)
- Utilities - Rand Water (all parastatals, why do they bother with this category)
- Transport - Equity Aviation Services
- IT - GijimaAST
- Top Entrepreneur of the year
- Male - Greg Maloka (Instant Grass)
- Female - Sibongile Sambo (very likable lady)
- Top personality:government
- Male - Trevor Manuel (I can't say enough about him)
- Female - Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi
We don't know who the winners of the top businessman and businesswoman of the year are, the nominees were:
- Male
- Andile Mazwai - BJM
- Jabu Mabuza - Tsogo Sun
- Phutuman Nhleko - MTN
- Female
- Irene Charnley - MTN
- Thandi Orleyn - Peotana Holdings
- Yolanda Cuba - Mvelaphanda Group
Impumelelo: South Africa’s Top Empowerment Companies
Caird has been asked to edit the empowerment section of the next issue. Rienzo and I are very excited to be involved in this project. We've been to-ing and fro-ing with Sam Dominy (the major editor) and we've put together an issue that we feel best reflects broad-based empowerment in South Africa. Our deadline for content is the 15th of December, we can only hope that the codes come out before then.
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